FRIEND: “Oh Africa! You know, it’s really dangerous over there. You need to be careful.”

JACKSON: “Thanks, will do.”

Exeunt.

If you were unable to tell, these conversations frustrated me in a way that I have a tough time articulating. Here my friends and supporters were offering caring and genuine advice. Yet, the idea that we have of Africa is absurd. From my experience, the majority of Americans have artificial conceptions of Africa crafted from age-old sayings–“Finish your plate, there are starving children in Africa.”–and unbalanced media coverage of radical groups. This often results in the association of the continent with a single image: barefoot, starving children playing in the Saharan sunset.

The ‘single story’ is the true danger. We know that Californians are different from Texans. We even know that Placervillians are different from San Franciscons. In America, we value individuality more than almost any other quality. From a young age, each child is taught that he or she is special. It would offend many to state that all 318 million Americans share a socioeconomic background or a religion, and yet, we are satisfied in accepting a single image of a continent comprised of more than a billion individuals.

In particular, Senegal is (both politically and economically) one of the most stable countries in Africa. This is what frustrates me most about the warnings I’ve received. Sure, they are intended to keep me safe, but they are said before taking the time to learn any information about the country. Had I said that I would be spending the year somewhere like New York City, the likelihood that I would be encouraged to have fun would be much higher than the likelihood of being warned about pickpockets or violent gangs. Why is Senegal any different?

We judge before we understand. At Pre-Departure Training (where I’ve been for the past week), we’ve had some very stimulating conversations about curiosity before judgment. In order to become a citizen of the world, it is so important to ask questions before making assertions. I am choosing to spend my next eight months in Senegal because it is so very different from the United States. As I sit writing this in the airport, about to board a plane and fly across the Atlantic, I can’t help feeling excitement for these differences. I thrive to ask questions and to discover the truths of a different way of life.

While many exhausted and frustrated me, I do remember a few refreshing conversations.

For instance, as we were preparing lunches for the day’s rafters, my Brazilian coworker ambushed me with a question that I was trying my best to avoid.

“Você sai para a África em três semanas?”

After a pause (longer than I’d care to admit), I pieced together the Portugese and affirmed that, in three weeks, I would indeed leave for Africa.“Sim.”

Taking pity on me, he repeated the question in English. “Have you ever been out of the United States?”

“Não.”

He chuckled and made a comment that has been in the back of my mind ever since.

“In three weeks, welcome to the world.”

Jackson Harris

About Jackson

Senegal - 2016

Jackson is passionate about his fellow human beings. At his high school, Jackson initiated an intensive diversity awareness program to break down barriers and build up relationships between his peers. He also loves politics, music, theatre, and the great outdoors. During the summer months, he works for a rafting company and frequently gets lost on trail runs by the river. Jackson's goals for the year are to learn French and Wolof, to find a new family, and to see the world from a different perspective. His favorite quote:"You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should." --Max Ehrmann, "Desiderata"